1 day in Tokyo

[Clancy]

Hi guys,
I've got to spend a week in Tokyo for work next month.
Apart from evenings, I will only have a Saturday to look/shop/something?
Not having been there before I thought I'd ask the brains trust and see if you had any ideas how I should spend the day.
Cheers
Craig

[sebastiaan56]

A 2 litre bottle of saki, all the sushi you can cram in your gob and a Geisha, it'd do me......

[Hippety Hop]

whale hunting?

[DarwinStrings]

Yes find a place called Ochanomizu. It is where all the second hand guitars go when they have no other place to go in Japan. I have not been there but I have heard stories of guys selling parts in the street. http://www.att-japan.net/modules/tinyd0 ... tc_77.html

Bring us back some stories.

Jim

[Hesh1956]

A 2 litre bottle of saki, all the sushi you can cram in your gob and a Geisha, it'd do me......

Sounds like a great plan to me - tell me is "saki" a substance or a verb?

[sebastiaan56]

One of my favourite movies is the Seventh Samuri by Kurusawa. one memorable moment the hero arrives in a bar and orders with a monosyllable "Sake!" he gets served, takes a great big slug and utters "ahhh........ Sake!" Short on script but deep on emotion that one.

I thought it was also a girls name Hesh, like "Cabernet"

[kiwigeo]

Tokyo so big its hard to see much of it in just one day. Whenever I got stuck there I'd just spend a day window shopping. The Yamanote line is a train line that does a circular route around the central CBD....just jump off at every station and have a walk around and a look and then jump back on the train and do the same at each successive station.

http://www.tokyotopia.com/yamanote-line.html

Heres a nice simple map of the train system:

[Clancy]

Thanks everyone for the tips.
Come my Saturday off I'm going to have breakfast then go straight to a sake bar, get stuffed on sushi, chuck a geisha over my shoulder, jump on a train and get off at every station looking for Ochanomizu screaming "ahhh........ Sake!" at every samurai looking fella.

On second thoughts, I think I'll ask at work about directions for Ochanomizu (thanks jim - exactly what I was thinking off but didn't know if it existed).

Kiwi-san, that train map looks a little like the flow diagram for the control system I'm going there to program!
I'm assuming the shops are open late so I'll give the train/wander a go in the evenings. That's how I found the "Guitar District" in Beijing.

To all who gave advice, I'll be thinking of you during the sake hangover - Cheers

Craig

[Clancy]

Back in town again.
Not a bad trip. Lovely weather in Tokyo but missed the blossums by a week or two.

Found Ochanomizu without any problems and spent hours & hours checking out all the guitars on offer. Prices for most stuff was still as expensive or more than here. Ended up getting a 2nd hand pignose guitar (little travel electric with built in amp) for less than I could make it. Exactly what I've been looking for but unable to find for a reasonable price.

I was able to try out a carbon acoustic guitar (by Compositt Acoustic - CA) which I'd always been interested to see how it performs. To me it had sweet tones but lacked any volume, particularly in the bass.

Time now to finish off intruments 2 (bouzouki) & 3 (carved mandolin) and start planning for number 4 (undecided).

Cheers
Craig

[kiwigeo]

B***er all the chit chat mate...we want to know how many times you got p****ed and then committed serious cultural faux pas!!!!

Did you get a chance to check out a Japanese bath house (ofuro?).